Buddha Teepangkorn
Things to see
Buddha statue welcomes with his back exposed to the guests, his gaze is directed to the archipelago. The path leading to the site with the installed sculpture is decorated on its sides with nagas traditionally, these are snakes symbolizing wisdom and protection in Asian religions. On three sides of the postament with the rising God of the East there are three elephants going out, its personify strength, kindness and angelic patience. On the edges of the site are sculptures of animals according to the cycle of the eastern calendar.
The main postament of the exposition plays in the sun with a golden ebb, it have been set four years ago, therefore it is often called as the New Buddha. The figure was sculpted in parts using clay in the Lamai temple, and in an unassembled state it was taken to the mountain, where the parts were assembled together. The result was a tall, slender colossus with the hand depicting of Abhaya Mudra, blessing a paradise for a calm and serene life.
The reclining Buddha is located a little to the right, in the lowlands on the next hill. The idol rests under a wooden shelter, which has not been completed yet. Nearby a pink Ganesha, Baby Buddha lie and a Buddha sits in a lotus position. They are not as rundown by the winds and time as the lying Buddha. The realization of the entire sculptural ensemble is a slowly process in the Zen mode, because the entire temple complex, like most in Thailand, is created with donations of tourists and local residents, and while one part is being built, the other is becoming rundown.
The local history museum is located in a neighboring building and occupies all three floors. Visitors can observe household items, antiques, stuffed animals, for example, a large sea turtle, the head of a wild boar or an elk. Old bicycles, rifles, samurai swords, china, clay pots, vases, bells, gongs, paintings, this is not a complete list of all the exhibits of the three-floor exhibition.
The roof of the museum is a separate attraction. In fact, this is an observation deck with a view of all four sides. Until the tower is completed near the local reclining Buddha, the roof is the highest point on Koh Samui - 645 meters above sea level. From here you can see the areas of Lamai, Maenam, Banrak, the islands of Tean, Madsum, Phangan and even the mainland in good weather.
Tours are provided here not often, so there are not so many tourists. The main reasons: the object is not completed, it is far from civilization and a road leads to it is very broken and unsafe. If you travel alone or in a pair, you can use a powerful bike, but you must have good driving skills. In another case, it is better to buy a safari jeep tour, sometimes this attraction is included in the route. The cost of the temple complex is symbolic and served as a donation - 20 baht.
